Explosive device



Patented Nov. 22, 1938 EXPLOSIVE DEVICE George E. B, Pena, ApplicationApril 30, 1937, Serial No. 139,966

1 Claim.

This invention relates to explosive device.

The general object of the invention is to provide an improved explosivemissile for use in a torpedo device such as a bomb or aquatic torpedowhich is of novel construction.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved explosivedevice including a. body having an explosive chamber with a secondexplosive member in the chamber and adapted to be discharged in a novelmanner.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved bomb includingan outer bomb member and an inner armor piercing projectile member.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved casing for a.bomb.

An additional object of the invention is to provide novel means forsetting oil the charge in the bomb.

Other objects and the advantages of my invention will be apparent fromthe following de-: scription taken in connection with the accom panyingdrawing, wherein: 4

Fig. l is a central sectional view through an explosive device embodyingthe features of my invention;

Fig. 2 is a top end view of the bomb;

Fig. 3 is a nose view of the projectile; and

Fig. 4 is a section taken on line 4-4 Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawing by reference characters I have shown myinvention as embodied in an explosive device which is indicatedgenerally at i0. .As shown this device includes an elongated body llhaving a cylindrical bore I2 and having a rear portion l3 which includesa hollow chamber It.

The body is threaded as at l5 at its upper end and on this threadedportion I mount a cap l6 which has threads matching the portion l5. Thecap it is preferably of a. shape to pass through the atmosphere readilyand preferably includes hollow grooves I! so that when the cap isdisrupted as will be later described a large number of shrapnelfragments will be formed.

Mounted within the body H, I show an armor piercing projectile which isindicated generally at l8. This projectile includes a forwardly directedarmor piercing point Is and a rearwardly directed chamber 20. The pointIs includes lon- 50 .gitudinally extending grooves 2| which areintersected by transverse dovetail grooves 22 and in these grooves Iarrange a lubricating material 23 such as lead. The lubricating materialextends beyond the point 24 and forms a protuberance 25. 66 The interiorof the bore I2 is provided with longitudinally extending ribs 26 whichare engaged by a soft metallic band of material such as copper 21 on theprojectile l8 to'iorm a gas tight fit. The armor piercing projectile I8is provided with a rear closure 28 which may be held in place by threads29. This closure 28 is disposed in advance of the chamber It previouslymentioned. The explosive device is shown as provided with directingvanes 30 which are preferably connected at the forward end by a band 8!and at the rear end by another band -82, the band 3! being threaded tothe body as at 38. It will be understood that instead of the vanes 30 Imay attachthe flask of a torpedo or other propelling means. The spacebetween the cap I6 and the armor piercing projectile is filled with asuitable explosive 36 while the chamber 20 in the armor piercingprojectile is also filled with explosive 31 and the chamber I6 is filledwith explosive 38. I

The cap 86 is provided with an impact fuse of suitable type 39, thedetails of which form no part of the present invention. This fuse, uponimpact, will ignite the powder 36 causing the cap it to be fractured andscattered when the missile hits, for instance, the deck of a ship. Theexplosive 38 in the chamber I4 is adapted to be set 011 by an impactfuse 40 arranged in a bore ill disposed in the rear of a chamber It.This impact fuse includes a movable percussion pin 42 which engages aprimer 43 which in turn sets off a detonator M to explode the explosivein the chamber It. The impact member 42 is normally urged away from theprimer by a spring 45 and is prevented from moving forward by a safetypin 46. When the impact is to be used the pin 46 is withdrawn thusallowing the point 61 to be moved forward by inertia to pierce thesafety member 48 and set off the primer 88 when the explosive devicestrikes its target.

The explosion of the explosive in the chamber I 4 causes the armorpiercing projectile i8 to be discharged from the bore I 2 and the timingis such that the discharge of the explosive 38 occurs a very shortinterval after the missile strikes and after the explosive 36 has freedthe cap it.

The closure 28 on the armor piercing projectile includes a fuse member49 which includes a firing train 50. This train is ignited when theexplosive 38 in the chamber l4 burns and the train 50 sets off theexplosive 31 in the armor piercing projectile.

As one illustration of the use of my invention, one of the devices maybe dropped from an air-' plane upon the deck of a ship. Upon impact thefuse 35 will break the cap l8 and after a short interval the explosive38 will be set of! thus discharging the armor piercing projectile l8 andcausing it to pierce the deck of the ship and to pass into the lowerportion of the ship whereupon the'fuse member'49 will cause theexplosive 31 in the armor piercing projectile to discharge thus causingfurther damage.

From the foregoing description it will be apparent that I have inventeda novel explosive device which is simple in construction and operationand which is highly eflicient for the intended purpose.

Having thus described my invention I claim:

In an explosive device, an outer one-piece shell comprising a body theouter surface of which tapers rearwardly, said body having a cylindricalbore therein, a hollow armor piercing projectile including a rearportion which is cylindrical and positioned within said bore, the lengthof the cylindrical portion of the projectile substantially equalling thelength of the shell bore, said projectile having a nose, said noseprojecting beyond the front end of said bore, the rear end of said shellbeing hollow to form a chamber, a grooved cap engaging the front end ofsaid shell, the interior of said cap beingspaced from the nose of saidprojectile, a cap disrupting explosive charge between said cap and saidnose, a propelling charge within said chamber, an explosive chargewithin said hollow projectile, an impact fuse at the forward end of saidcap, an inertia impact fuse at the rear of said chamber andcommunicating therewith and a time fuse positioned in the rear of saidhollow projectile and communicating therewith.

GEORGE E. BARNHART.

